Is there anything more fun for kids than toy guns? They have come so far since I was little. Nerf has always been the big player in toy guns, and now Mattell is jumping into the mix with their BOOMco line of toys.
Before I start, for those who know me, I have always been against toy guns, in particular, the ones that shoot darts or any kind of bullets. I got hit in the face as a kid and it hurt, so that kind of set me for life.
So when I was contacted to review the BOOMco Rapid Madness Blaster, I was torn. The dad blogger in me was all in, picturing the fun I would have with the boys. But the parent in me was a little against bringing weapons into the house.
So I decided to accept the toys, test and review and use the opportunity as a learning experience for the boys.
I have to say, when the very cool box from BOOMco arrived, I was a little kid again.
One of the best things about the BOOMco Rapid Madness Blaster is that it features a Smart Stick system. This works by the type of darts used. They are not foam darts like that other company.
The tip of the dart sticks to all Smart Stick and the very cool blaster shields. These are great when playing against each other as these shields catch the dart sticks. Stopping the opponent hitting your own target.
The Smart Stick Darts Are Pretty Smart
When I heard about Smart Stick technology, I figured this was just a fancy way of saying suction darts. Been there, done that.
The truth is, the Smart Stick darts are downright awesome. As it states, the darts will only stick to Smart Stick shields and targets, but not windows, walls, ceilings, TVs, microwaves, siblings pets and other things they should not be shooting.
Aside, that is one of the main rules I made for the boys, no shooting or even pointing guns at people.
When the Smart Stick Darts do hit their target, they stick on tight…much tighter than suction cup darts. I was concerned that the stickiness would wear down over time, but so far so good.
If Only Picking Up Darts Was As Fast As Firing
As demonstrated in the video, the Rapid Madness really does unleash madness…at a very rapid rate. While it takes less than 3 seconds to fire off 20 darts, it takes much longer to find them, pick them up and reload. In terms of real world battles, the BoomCO blaster ends up being better for shooting at targets rather than person to person battles. I thought this was a bonus to be honest. Kids don’t want to stop and pick up 30 darts. Once your clip is empty…in just a few seconds…you need to stop, find all the darts and fully reload.
It’s Not Fully There Yet For Ease Of Use
Clearly some growing pains as Mattel enters the blaster market. If one dart is missing in the middle of the clip, the blaster will not fire any of the remaining darts. I did have a few jams and some issues where accuracy and range were not great. My oldest found the gun a little frustrating to use as it seemed like you had to pump forever. However, if your kids like the idea of a blaster that can fire off darts at a VERY rapid rate, they will love the Rapid Madness. The Smart Stick darts provide a great way to play target practice and Moms and Dads will appreciate not having darts stuck to the TV.
If your kids are used to those giant water guns they use in the summer, they will have no problem jumping over and using one of these dart blasters.
Playing Safe
For those who are wondering, here is the full list of rules I had for the boys.
- No shooting at people (or even pointing the gun).
- Always wear eye protection. The box came with cool shades. You would be amazed at the bounce back from these darts.
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Just shoot at targets.
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No complaining when gun gets put away.
We also do our best to not be total downers. I mean it is fun for the kids. We just want them to learn what is fake and what is real.
More Information
Mattel BoomCO Rapid Madness Retails For $59 and listed for ages 6 and up.
The Rapid Madness Blaster can be purchased in Canada at Amazon, ToysRUs and Walmart.
The BOOMco website is also excellent with videos including athlete’s and a lot of examples of fun.
More of a visual person? Here you go.
Disclaimer: I was sent the above items as stated in the post. I’ve not been paid further for mentioning any of these products in this post. All words and opinions are my own and the links have been included out of courtesy.
